Oral History Interview with Robert Dotson, February 18, 2005

Oral History Interview with Robert Dotson, February 18, 2005

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Track One 0:47:08

Description

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Robert Dotson. Dotson joined the Navy at 18 when he finished high school in 1943. He trained at Great Lakes Naval Training Center outside Chicago. From there, he went to Maryland to train in the Navy's Amphibious Forces. Upon completing training, Dotson joined the crew of a brand new Landing Craft, Infantry (USS LCI-471) and headed throught the Panama Canal for the Pacific. Initially, he served as a helmsman while his LCI carried underwater demolition teams (UDT) in support for the invasion of Guam. During the campaign for … continued below

Physical Description

1 sound recording (47 min., 7 sec.)

Creation Information

Dotson, Robert February 18, 2005.

Context

This audio recording is part of the collection entitled: National Museum of the Pacific War Oral History Collection and was provided by the National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation to The Portal to Texas History, a digital repository hosted by the UNT Libraries. More information about this recording can be viewed below.

Interviewee

Dotson, Robert

Interviewers

Publisher

National Museum of the Pacific War
Place of Publication: Fredericksburg, Texas

Audiences

Check out our Resources for Educators Site! We've identified this sound as a primary source within our collections. Researchers, educators, and students may find this recording useful in their work.

Provided By

National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Established in 1967, the Museum honors the 8 million Americans who served in WWII in the Pacific Theater by sharing their stories with the world. Located in Fredericksburg in the restored Nimitz "Steamboat" Hotel, the Museum partners with the Texas Historical Commission to preserve the historical resources of the era.

Description

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Robert Dotson. Dotson joined the Navy at 18 when he finished high school in 1943. He trained at Great Lakes Naval Training Center outside Chicago. From there, he went to Maryland to train in the Navy's Amphibious Forces. Upon completing training, Dotson joined the crew of a brand new Landing Craft, Infantry (USS LCI-471) and headed throught the Panama Canal for the Pacific. Initially, he served as a helmsman while his LCI carried underwater demolition teams (UDT) in support for the invasion of Guam. During the campaign for Guam, USS LCI-471 served as a Japanese prisoner-of-war clearing station. About 100 Japanese POWs came on and off USS LCI-471. After assembling at Ulithi, Dotson sailed with the invasion force to Iwo Jima. USS LCI-471 continued to operate supporting he UDTs prior to the invasion. The Japanese fired on and hit USS LCI-471, causing some damage and killing 11 crewmen. When the UDT completed their tasks prior to the invasion, USS LCI-471 continued on station as a support vessel ferrying supplies to shore, escorting members of the press, and making smoke screens for the fleet. After the battle, Dotson went home on a thirty day leave and got married. He then was stationed at Fort Lauderdale until his discharge in March, 1946.

Physical Description

1 sound recording (47 min., 7 sec.)

Subjects

Keywords

Library of Congress Genre/Form Terms

Library of Congress Subject Headings

World War, 1939-1945

University of North Texas Libraries Browse Structure

Language

English

Item Type

Sound

Identifier

Unique identifying numbers for this recording in the Portal or other systems.

Accession or Local Control No: OH01380
Archival Resource Key: ark:/67531/metapth1608573

Relationships

Oral History Interview with Robert Dotson, February 18, 2005, [transcript] ark:/67531/metapth1604761

Collections

This recording is part of the following collections of related materials.

National Museum of the Pacific War Oral History Collection

This oral history collection depicts an instrumental era in American history. In these transcripts of interviews with World War II veterans are personal experiences with the war, from the Doolittle Raid and D-Day to the Battle for Bataan.

National Museum of the Pacific War Digital Archive

The Digital Archive presents digitized collections from the Center for Pacific War Studies collections at the National Museum of the Pacific War. Collections and material are continuously being added and represent only a small portion of the archives' physical holdings.

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